In this era of increased globalization, infectious diseases show no boundaries

Devastating. That alone cannot fully describe the extent of the destruction of property, the displacement of tens of thousands of residents, the injuries and loss of life in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. As Americans, our hearts ache for those affected by the flooding. As a medical student, former international development worker in Afghanistan and EMT in South Africa, I also lay awake thinking about the many infectious diseases that take hold in disaster and flood settings. In major floods and other natural disasters, rising water levels and damage to sewage treatment plants lead to contaminated water supplies, causing life-threatening diarrheal diseases such as cholera, amoebiasis, and cryptosporidiosis. After flooding subsides and stagnant water blankets affected regions, mosquitos take advantage of new breeding grounds and proliferate. These mosquitos can transmit illnesses such as West Nile, dengue, malaria, and Zika. Immediate serious consequences of such infections include paralysis and severe debilitating bone pain. Pregnant women who are infected may give birth to children with devastating developmental delays as a result of microcephaly, where the brains of newborns are smaller than normal. In these moments, I recognize, selfishly, the absolute necessity of federally funding global health research and interventions. The diseases that thrive and spread in disaster settings are often the same diseases that thrive in underserved, under-resourced, and conflict...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Infectious Disease Primary Care Public Health & Policy Source Type: blogs